The LAT has a good piece about the downsides of corn-based ethanol. My favorite part:
- President Bush has set a target of replacing 15% of domestic gasoline use with biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) over the next 10 years, which would require almost a fivefold increase in mandatory biofuel use, to about 35 billion gallons. With current technology, almost all of this biofuel would have to come from corn because there is no feasible alternative. However, achieving the 15% goal would require the entire current U.S. corn crop, which represents a whopping 40% of the world's corn supply. This would do more than create mere market distortions; the irresistible pressure to divert corn from food to fuel would create unprecedented turmoil.
Sure, it'll cause havoc with our economy, but let's look at the bright side -- at least Coltrane won't have to travel all the way to a bodega to buy some Mexican Coca-Cola.
Gattigap
